How to know if a unit has heat pump

avan wrote:
Heat pumps have zero to do with air condition air other than there is a heat strip (think "like a toaster" heat strip) which uses the AC fan to blow the limited heat it produces into the rig. As said, it is not terribly effective in real cold weather because of the limited amps. Its advantage is if you have a chill in the air and are in an RV park using non metered electricity. Then you can use the heat pump to warm the rig up using the park's electricity rather than your own propane via you more efficient (in terms of dealing with colder temps) furnace. Where I live we never have cold temps, just cold chills once in awhile, and my condo does not have a furnace, just a heat pump. When traveling and in an electricity furnished cg, I can't remember the last time I've used my propane furnace - just the heat pump and, if needed, I might pull out the electric blanket. When bookdocking, I'll use the heat pump if the genny is running otherwise the furnace.

Totally wrong. Heat pumps reverse the flow of refrigerant and use the evap coil as the "hot" coil blowing warm air into the coach. During the summer the evap coil is the cool coil blowing cool air into the coach. It has nothing to do with a heat strip.

Here is an explanation for heat pumps. Because heat pumps remove heat form the outside air the colder it gets outside, the less heat there is to get from the outside air and therefore has to run longer. Do not use a temperature setback at night; this is because the air circulated by the heat pump is cooler than that of a gas/propane fired furnace. If you setback the thermostat the heat pump will have to run much longer to reheat the RV.

You can think of a heat pump the same way as you think about a residential refrigerator. The frig cools your food and pumps heat out, normally at the floor level over the drip pan. A heat pump works the same way in the summer blowing the chilled air into the RV. In winter the heat pump works in reverse sending the warmed air into the RV and the chilled air to the outside.

As stated before AC units and heat pumps for cooling is in accordance with their rated BTUs. I hope that this clears some of the fog around heat pumps.
Happy RVing.

You know the unit has a heat pump when the heat is turned on and appears to be running but it's still cold inside the RV.

The interaction between the heat pumps and the gas furnace was the reason we moved the furnace to its own thermostat. If the differential between the heat pump and the actual temp is too much, the heat pump will kick off and the furnace start up even when it is warm enough for the heat pump to work say 50 degrees. We set the gas furnace thermostat on 55 and leave it on in cold weather and if below freezing when we awaken, we turn it up to heat up the RV and turn it back down when it is warm enough for the heat pump to work. Keep in mind that heat pumps work through the a/c ducts so the floor does not warm up like when using the furnace. We use slippers during cold weather. Fire places are nice and provide ambiance but are just a space heater. You have to decide what is right for you.

GoPackGo wrote:
Worrying about propane levels and which valves are on and which ones are off is pretty far down near the bottom of the list of things I'm concerned about.

Oh the horror that I should have to put on a poncho and dash out in the rain to turn on a tank valve. I guess we've pretty well forgotten about what it was like when all we had was a tent and sleeping bags.

We have a motorhome, so we have to take the rig to have the tank filled, which means unhooking, driving to where ever there is propane, crawling under low bay door to get to the tank, etc., then back, and relevel, rehook up. Much easier to save the tank for furnace on really cold nights and use electric heat when we don't have to worry about keeping tanks warm. Plus electric is much more efficient than propane furnances. We haven't had to fill propane tank in over 2 years.

Barb

GoPackGo wrote:
Worrying about propane levels and which valves are on and which ones are off is pretty far down near the bottom of the list of things I'm concerned about.

Oh the horror that I should have to put on a poncho and dash out in the rain to turn on a tank valve. I guess we've pretty well forgotten about what it was like when all we had was a tent and sleeping bags.

With one exception; we would arrive at our tent site, sometimes when light, sometimes at dusk, and occasionally after dark-set the tent up, lay down the foam pads then the sleeping beds, done! For some reason, my pad was "always" the one that had a noticeable rock or acorn under it. :B

By not messing with propane, I meant taking out the tanks to refill them.

GoPackGo wrote:
Oh the horror that I should have to put on a poncho and dash out in the rain to turn on a tank valve. I guess we've pretty well forgotten about what it was like when all we had was a tent and sleeping bags.

That is probably not a big deal to those who are young and energetic, but as you age, you just don't want to deal with that sort of thing...or just can't. Tent camping is fine for the younger crowd, but as we age, if we travel by RV, it's not camping...I see it as taking your own little hotel/cabin with you! So, why suffer the inconveniences if you don't have to?

There are those who love to "rough it" and there are those who don't. I always loved to tent camp in my younger days, but to my sister, in her words, "the closest thing to camping is a Holiday Inn!"

So, many who own RVs may just be in that second group...those who do NOT want to rough it! Even for me, personally, I just can't tolerate the riggers of tent camping and my DH can't stand to set up another tent! So, we have arrived at the stage and age where we have to be "lazy" in order to "camp." :)

Especially if we decided to fulltime...it would mean even more to have convenience on a daily basis. Heck, I would love to have a dishwasher in the camper on a fulltime basis! :B And that may just happen! Remove the stove and insert W/D!

GoPackGo wrote:
Worrying about propane levels and which valves are on and which ones are off is pretty far down near the bottom of the list of things I'm concerned about.

Oh the horror that I should have to put on a poncho and dash out in the rain to turn on a tank valve. I guess we've pretty well forgotten about what it was like when all we had was a tent and sleeping bags.

Many a night in a tent, that is one reason I have An Rv. Plus, I am not concerned about propane, merely attempting to answer the OP's question about heat pumps. Thanks for Your concern.

Jim

Worrying about propane levels and which valves are on and which ones are off is pretty far down near the bottom of the list of things I'm concerned about.

Oh the horror that I should have to put on a poncho and dash out in the rain to turn on a tank valve. I guess we've pretty well forgotten about what it was like when all we had was a tent and sleeping bags.